


Just For You

by ToffeeRice



Category: Original Work
Genre: Drama & Romance, Homophobia, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-10-23 23:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17692874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToffeeRice/pseuds/ToffeeRice
Summary: Lucas Duran and Dylan Hensley are two men who met eachother at a local café. From the moment they met, they hit it off quite well. Dylan fell in love with Lucas relatively quickly, but of course Lucas is oblivious to the older one's feelings. When Dylan wanted to ask Lucas out on a date, he discovered a shocking fact: Lucas was raised in a homophobic household, thus he has a hatred for homosexual people. Dylan tries his best to convince Lucas that there was no reason for this hatred, but will he be able to succeed this unnecessarily difficult task?





	1. About Coffee And Sweet Gestures

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! First of all, thank you for checking in with me! I'd like to inform you that writing is a hobby I've recently picked up, so I am very unexperienced. That does not mean, however, that I am going to just write something short and leave it at that. The chapter updates will be slow, since I don't have a lot of ideas. If there are any grammatical or spelling mistakes, please tell me in the comments and I will correct them immediately, thank you!  
> That would be all, I think. Anyway, enjoy the first chapter!

IT WAS not the first time for Dylan to be here before the actual opening hours. It happened so often that he even unconsciously planned it in his daily routine, and he didn't know if he could be proud or just feel weird because of it. He has always been a punctual man, and it's certainly nothing new for him to come earlier than he should. But this time it's more than worth it. The cafe would open in ten minutes, yet he was sitting on a park bench in front of the establishment, his laptop on his lap, browsing the internet.

The trees above him granted him a shadow that guarded him from the merciless rays of sunshine burning down onto the street. He didn't know why his brain always urged him to visit this cafe, even though there was another one, which would have been closer to his apartment, but for an unknown reason had chosen this one here, yet again. Whether it was the inviting ambience, the extremely friendly staff or the luscious pastries they serve, it is and always will be his very favorite coffee house.

'Only five minutes left,' thought the brunet as he glanced at the clock on his laptop. He was still tired, and the coffee he had made at home had not helped his situation one bit.

It just hasn't given him the kick that the other dose of caffeine provides him with. Without his usual kick-starter into the morning, his mood tended to be unpredictable and he'd strangle whoever was unfortunate enough to topple into his view and attempt even the slightest start of small talk.

«Ah, mornin' Dylan! I'm not surprised to see you here before my mornin' shift.» A well-known voice in front of him spoke with a hint of amusement in their voice. His fatigued eyes didn't even bother looking up from the laptop to answer. With a sapped sigh he responded. «Morning, Tanja. I hope you slept well. » He paused for a brief moment to glance up at the dark-skinned woman he was acquainted with for quite enough time to consider her a good friend. «Unlike me,» he added under his breath. The raven-haired man couldn't care less if she'd heard his comment. Keys jingled noisily as the barista grumpily tried to find the right set of keys to quickly unlock the front door.

The small windowed panel was blocked by blinds. The cutely painted "CLOSED„ sign was hanging neatly from a small screw mounted on the wooden top of the birch wood door. Dylan eyed the irritated woman as she fidgeted frustratingly with the keys. «You know, you don't need to rush yourself. You still have more than an hour before this place opens and I have plenty of time, » he stated matter-of-factly. Tanja was always the person to try and please everyone, even though it causes her a lot of stress.

«I know, sorry about that dude.» she paused to finally unlock the door, «I just want to get out of this blazing heat. It's the second of February, yet we already have over twenty degrees outside. » The way she complains about the weather reminds him a lot of his co-worker, Connor. He ran a hand through his stygian hair, excited to see the door open and see Tanja inside. It felt like ages since he had gotten his last dose of proper caffeine, even though it has only been a day. A quick glance at his phone told him it had just turned seven o'clock. The café still had one hour to be opened.

The coffee was better than any other in the entirety of Breckenridge. Dylan sat by his favourite table in silence, enjoying the emptiness of this place while he can. During the busy hours of the day, many people tend to visit and get their coffee here. Who could blame them? It was very enjoyable, after all. The table he placed his pricey belongings onto was pushed into the corner next to a bottomless window, an outlet was behind the wooden chair, perfect for plugging in the charger for his laptop.

As he started up his computer, his eyes wandered around the semi-large establishment. The place had been thoroughly cleaned, all of the tables were organized into an aesthetically pleasing pattern while the chairs have been stacked on top of them. The backroom, which was separated by a clean glass door, has been freshly painted just a week ago, since it's the smoking-area and the walls were starting to take on a duller, nastier tone of colour. The smell of cappuccino waved through the air, making the atmosphere feel more relaxed. It felt like a second home to the young man, a second home only he could enjoy as much. He opened a new word document on his computer, typing on away on the story he has been working on so far.

It didn't take long for people to slowly trickle in over time. All the while Dylan had progressed with the lore in his story, ever so often taking a sip from the mocha he had ordered not so long ago. The whipped cream tasted almost too sweet, mixed in with the bitter taste of the chocolatey brew that hid underneath it. He smiled unconsciously every time he took a savour of his beverage. Occasionally he glanced at the door, listening to the shrill sound of the brass bell as people entered and left the establishment. As time passed, the tables were mostly full, chattering and clinking of cutlery and mugs filled the air. It somewhat bothered him, although he knew that he wouldn't be able to do much to block out the noise. Besides, it was tolerable for now. He once visited this place on a Saturday, and the volume of the talking people were insufferable.

He sighed discouraged, he had hit a wall. It was going so well with the second chapter, he was really in a flow, before he'd lost his train of thought and how he had planned to continue the paragraph. He could hit his head against the table if it weren't for the many customers that would glance at him like he was a lunatic, so he inaudibly groaned in annoyance. He saved, before leaning back into his chair and rubbing his exhausted, umber eyes. Staring at the blue-light of his laptop always drained him faster than he thought it would. He didn't know why it did do that, yet he couldn't care. There wasn't anything about that fact that he could try to change.

He took the small break to glance at the ceiling. It's been several hours since the café opened and quite a lot of others have come here to enjoy their afternoon. Amongst the crowd of people, Dylan could make hear his Friend Tanja, trying to squeeze through the wall of others. He could tell by the "Excuse Me„'s and the "Pardon me!„'s she let out while trying to get through. She scanned the area for him, and the second she found him and decided to pace over.

«Hey, Dude! Dylan!» She called out aloud for him, trying to make her way to his rather isolated place. She occasionally bumped into a person or two, nevertheless when she arrived, she wordlessly took a chair from an unoccupied table and sat down next to him. His eyes darted from the ceiling to the person next to him. His eyes were wide and he gaped with bewilderment. It worried him, she never does that. Sure, they talked during her break a lot, but this was new. He couldn't conclude whether this was concerning or congenial, since he couldn't quite tell by her expression. She looked puzzled, yet her neutral face was showing through as well. Despite his uneasiness, he hummed in acknowledgement.

«What're you up to?» she attempted to peer onto the screen of the laptop, but Dylan reflexively slammed it down. Both flinched visibly, some bystanders stopped whatever action they were into to shoot them a confused look. The raven-haired audibly cleared his throat while slowly opening the computer yet again. He didn't mean to make quite the scene, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. «Oh god, sorry. I was writing on my story.» The man exhaled gustily. His eyes fixated on the woman, who was still in her seat, startled. Every now and then he'd pull a stunt like this and it would almost always scare poor Tanja to death.

«Y'need to stop doing shit like this. I'm gonna get a heart attack someday, » she jokingly elbowed his side. All he managed to do was give a somewhat genuine smile, before he returned to his blank stare. «You never want to read my stories. You want something from me, don't you? » He smirked knowingly at the woman, who tried to hide her ashamed smile. She knew she had been caught the second she opened her mouth to ask.

«Ah fuck, You got me. Yeah, I need you to do me a favor, pretty please? » She inched closer to Dylan's face, batting her eyelashes in a somewhat joking manner. 'The young man scowled in disgust, he hates when people beg, especially when they did this to him. «Stop. Don't do that, I hate it when people do that. » he paused for a moment to find his words again. «I hate when people do such childish things. I'll do what you want me to do, but for the love of god or whatever you believe in, don't do this anymore. »

Tanja was beyond baffled. No one's ever been that bothered by her behaviour. Not to mention that Dylan never tended to sugar-coat the honesty he spoke. She chuckled at his words, earning an irritated look from him. She took out a block of paper, pretending to write down something with her imaginary pen. «Noted. But no promises,» she added with a sarcastic undertone. His umber eyes were fixed on Tanja. «So, what do you want?»

As soon as these words left his lips, the barista leaned in close and started to speak. «Do you see that guy?» Dylan furrowed his eyebrows as he turned to face the same direction as her. «What guy?» «The one wearing our uniform.» The raven-haired spotted him immediately. The man's strawberry-blond hair stood out like a firefly during the night. He indeed wore the tell-tale uniform of a waiter in this café. «He's new.» Dylan stated matter-of-factly. Tanja nodded and continued. «Yeah, he's a trainee. We want you to be his first customer and later once he brought you a new cup of coffee I want you to tell me how he's doing.» The raven-haired glanced suspiciously at his friend.

«That's all?», he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. His umbre eyes met the chocolate brown of his friend. «What do you mean "that's it?" I thought you hated talking with others?», the dark-skinned woman answered irritated. It was true, yet Dylan indeed needed another refill on his coffee, after all. He might as well help his poor friend out in the process.

«Excuse me, sir?» Dylan shifted in his seat to straighten his position on the wooden chair. Lucas, who had almost walked past the other man, stopped instantly and whipped around to face him. «Yes, what can I do for you?» A gusty exhale escaped the blond as he hastily finished his sentence. ❛Poor Guy, he probably must be exhausted as hell. I hope the customers aren't putting much of a toll on him❜ Dylan almost gawked at the sight in front of him; Sienna brown eyes hid behind a pair of seemingly perfect-fitting glasses, strawberry-blond hair styled into an uppercut, which suited him almost perfectly. He realized he was staring for too long; he cleared his throat audibly, causing Lucas to flinch at the unexpected gesture. «I was wondering if you would be so kind and bring me an espresso, possibly with almond milk. I am lactose intolerant, so I would appreciate it a lot.»

Lucas was the one to furrow his brows this time. «I'm sorry sir, but I believe we do not serve almond milk. I will go check for you, though. I will be right back!» he explained, simultaneously adjusting his rectangle-shaped glasses. With a brief nod, Dylan dismissed the trainee with visible satisfaction. The second the waiter turned away, the other man let out a deep breath, much to his own surprise. He was polite, yet confident in a way Dylan could not interpret. His body language radiated with genuine optimism and happiness. It must be nice to have such levels of self-esteem.

Dylan abruptly looked back at his laptop, thrilled at the sudden burst of creativity. It felt like someone had struck with a hammer of inventiveness, without the headache of course. He started typing immediately; maybe he didn't hit a writer's block, after all. It didn't take long for Lucas to return with the heated beverage Dylan had ordered. Funnily enough, on the tray he was carrying were two, small porcelain kettles, he'll probably bring it to another table. His umber eyes widened somewhat in surprise as the waiter walked over to his desk and gently placed the entirety of the tray's contents onto his table. He even served with his left hand; how professional! «My sincerest apologies, but we do not serve almond milk. Fortunately, I did find lactose-free milk with a vanilla taste. If you wish to simply have normal lactose-free milk, I poured both into these-»he pointed at the small kettles, «So please help yourself, sir!» Lucas finished with an apologetic smile throughout the entire one-sided conversation.

«Thank you, I certainly will.» Dylan answered serenely while watching the blond man walk off to another table. He was pleasingly surprised at how friendly he was being with other customers, despite some of them having an unpleasant attitude towards him. Tanja sure knows how to hire the right people, doesn't she? A small chuckle escaped the raven-haired one's lips, he wouldn't mind the new addition to the staff serving him every now and then.

He mindlessly stirred his recently brewed espresso as he glanced onto the screen of his. Although he had a sprout of inspiration just now, it seemed to have vanished into thin air just now. He didn't get far progress-wise; he was stuck once again.

Sometime has passed and people gradually started to leave over time. A peaceful silence settled in; a silence Dylan has come to love during weekdays. On the opposite of the table he has been seated, Tanja sat and chatted happily.

«So, how'd he do?» she inquired, leaning forward and staring at him with newfound curiousity, yetintensity. He quirked a brow in amusement, contemplating internally whether he should keep her on suspense or not. «Tanja; sweet, sweet Tanja. You know that this is classified information, I would get my ass beat by the government if I share it with you,» he mused with a playful grin. Her face fell and she had a look of bewilderment on her face. «Dylan, please don't do this. I asked you as a friend,» she pleaded, clasping her hands together. An entertained grin stretched across his face as he shook his head. «He did great. Not only does he sound very enthusiastic to work here, I asked him the routine-question he even checked!» Tanja gasped in mocking surprise; before she could voice her amusement, he had interrupted her. «No, you don't get it! No one's ever checked before, even if they weren't certain. He did! He was truly genuine throughout the entire conversation, T,» he rambled on about the events that had occured within the last 10 minutes. Tanja, on the other hand, listened with a smile plastered on her face. Maybe hiring Lucas wasn't a bad idea, after all.


	2. Chapter 2 | First Impressions Count, But Last Impressions Are Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry it took a while for the new chapter to be released. I was really looking forward to publishing this one, I hope you guys will like it!

The Clock hit 6 P.M. when the last customer left and Tanja closed the café. The sun has long set and the sky has been dipped in a dodger-blue shade, making the ambience even cozier than in the morning. Dylan still remained in the establishment, lifting the various chairs from the ground and precisely stacking them back on top of the birch-wood tables. He liked helping his friend out, it saved her from a lot of stress that she normally has to endure during the day.

The raven-haired man pushed the various tables into the pattern he had organized them the day prior, mentally cussing at the people who carelessly pushed them around, making them look chaotic. Why couldn't people pay more attention to their surroundings? Was it that hard of a task to do? He shook his head; people wouldn't do that. Never.

Dylan's head perked up at the sound of footsteps behind him. His body automatically whirled around, umber eyes stared into sienna ones; both of them slightly alarmed. «Sorry, I didn't intend to scare you,» Lucas chuckled nervously. He walked up nex to the taller man, peering at the cleaned up and arranged row of tables.

«Tanja told me that you're a good friend of hers and that you usually stay after closing,» the blond mentioned, causing Dylan to nod slowly. He stayed silent for now, unintentionally causing Lucas to grow more and more nervous. ❛Did I do something wrong?❜ he'd thought to himself, pushing up his rectangle glasses. Dylan turned his gaze towards the bar, where Tanja resided, closing the dishwasher and pressing some buttons.

Lucas' gaze followed, still slightly uncomfortably around him. If he really stays around after closing time, this might get a lot more unsettling; considering he doesn't talk much. ❛Maybe try again?❜ his brown eyes averted from Tanja and back to Dylan. «Since we might see each other more often, I might as well introduce myself to you. My name is Lucas! You may call me Luke, but it's up to you.» he held up his end to greet him.

Dylan looked skeptically at the hand that has been extended towards him. ❛Sure,❜ he thought. ❛I don't see why not❜ he shook his hand polietly, while saying: «My name is Dylan, but you may call me Dylan, Lucas.» A sly grin spread on his face. The other man's hand was extremely warm, the raven-haired wondered if it's because of the hot coffee mugs he always has to hold. He wonderend if Lucas thought his hand was ice cold.

They both exchanged a few words, before Lucas excused himself to the back of the café. The blond made sure everything was cleaned; and that he hadn't missed a spot. It was his first day, he'd love to make a positive first impression to all the customers, even Tanja. He swept the floor quickly one more time, taking a dustpan and eventually throwing the dust he had missed the first time in the bin.

He pushed his glasses further up his nose, nervously fidgeting with the apron on his uniform. He had been anxious during the day, with Tanja watching him closely and Dylan occasionally asking him rather weird questions. It was nerve-wrecking, to say the least. It was hard to pay attention, due to his intrusive thoughts taking over his mind.

❛It could have gone worse, though.❜ Lucas considered, happy with the work he'd done today. To his surprise, there were no rude customers whatsoever. Just some that were a pain in the ass to deal with, but otherwise he couldn't complain.

Dylan's umber eyes glanced around the room he was in, seeing Tanja walk towards him with a smile. «Hey dude. Where's Luke?» she set down the towel she wiped her hands with, sitting down next to him once more. «He went into the back area; I don't know why, though,» he replied, a drained hint in his voice. Tanja nodded her head silently, stretching in her seat.

They chatted for a while, before Lucas joined them at their table. «What's up, Luke?» «Hello, Lucas,» both of them greeted the blond man. «Hi, guys! So, any plans for today?» he grabbed a seat and sat down on the opposite side of them.

«It's 6:20 P.M,» Dylan pointed out, yet Lucas seemed as energetic as he was today. «So? There's still plenty of time left. You can go for a run!» he exclaimed, to which Tanja chuckled. «Me and running? The only distance I run is from my table to my fridge and back.» Dylan deadpanned, while packing his laptop and charger into the backpack of his. Tanja was literally hooting with laughter, while Lucas chuckled sheepishly.

«But seriously, do you guys have any plans for today?» Lucas inquired, eyes travelling between both of them. «Probably continue the chapter I'm working on. I'm not so sure, though.» Dylan had said, and suddenly Lucas' eyes went wide. «You're an author? Awesome! Do you have any books published?!»

Dylan, slightly startled, almost fell off his seat. He cleared his throat, trying to get the other man to stop rambling. «I don't, I'm a hobbyist author and haven't published anything. I upload them online.» Before he could continue, Lucas broke off his sentence once again. «Dude, I'd love to read them some time! You should show them to me.» he hastily added «If you want to, that is.»

The raven haired thought for a second. Is Lucas doing this out of genuine curiousity or just to be polite? He sighed softly, before speaking up. «I can link you to the website I publish them. I won't show you any of my work-in-progress chapters, though-»

Before the older man could finish his sentence, Lucas' fist flew up into the air. «YES! Thanks a lot, I've been looking for more interesting stuff to read in ages!» Huh, Dylan didn't take the barista for a reader, he certainly didn't look like one.

Tanja finally calmed down, wiping the tears from her eyes. «I'll probably spend some time with Veronika. We've been re-scheduling our date for the longest time now.»

Both of the men's eyes widened. Lucas' in shock, Dylan's in glee. «Oh, I've been waiting for this, T! You really haven't spent a lot of time with your lady, you should really close on weekends to spend more time with her,» Dylan scolded, to which the woman sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. «Heh, sorry. I sometimes prioritize work over friends and relatives.»

Dylan's eyes narrowed, while icily glaring at his friend. Lucas still sat there, his mouth agape in surprise. «You have a girlfriend?» he managed to bring out, trying his hardest not to stammer. Tanja looked at him, slightly bewildered. «You didn't know that? I thought I mentioned it.»

«No, I didn't know,» Lucas scowled. Dylan's gaze went from Tanja to Lucas, the icy glare fixing onto his face. As the blond caught Dylan's cold stare, he added hastily «That- s-shouldn't be a problem, though. I was just... surprised.»

His brown eyes averted from the other man's umber ones, and he looked at the ground, ashamed. «Sorry, I didn't mean to overreact like that. I'm happy for you,» he implied, smiling sheepishly.

Tanja smiled uncomfortably, clasping her hands together. «Alright guys, I still need to set up my date. It'd be very kind of you to leave now, so shoo.» The last part was more directed towards Dylan, who got slightly nudged towards the door by Tanja. He chuckled, glad that she managed to lighten up his mood. «Alright, alright. I get it! Stop bullying me into leaving!»

Both of them shared a laugh, Lucas awkwardly giggled along. Both of them were escorted to the exit, after they got their belongings. «See you tomorrow, T. And tell Viktoria I said hi.» With that, the raven-haired opened the door and stepped aside for Lucas to walk through. «Sorry about earlier, Tanja. I hope you two have a nice night,» his brown eyes met Tanja's smaragdine ones. «Ah, don't sweat it Luke! And I'll tell her, Dylan. Thank you guys!» The woman looked delighted.

Lucas walked outside, waiting for the older man. Dylan gave her one last, short hug before making his way down the little stairs and catching up to him.

Tanja closed the door behind them, causing both of them to walk towards the same direction. «Do you also take the bus?» Dylan quizzically asked, his eyes fixing on the pavement he was walking on. «No, my house isn't far from here. Maybe a 3 minute walk or so,» the blond man had his hand in his hoodie-pockets, looking up at the sky.

There was an uncomfortable silence around them, Dylan being the antisocial person he was. Lucas decided to break the quiet. «Sorry about earlier, if that made you mad or something.» Dylan's head perked up, startled by the sudden words. «Oh, no problem. It happens, I guess.» Both of them resumed on their way down the road. Lucas pushed his rectangle glasses further up his nose again. «You know, if you'd like we could hang out. To get to know each other better. I work out every thursday, so you could join me if you'd like.»

Dylan considered it for a moment, before speaking up. «Uh, sure... I'm not gonna work out, but I'm up for a chat.» he could hit himself right now. Curse his spineless attitude! «I'm not really someone for exercise, you know?» The grip on his backpack tightened, hoping Lucas would actually decline.

«That sounds good! Maybe we should exchange numbers? I can text you the adress!» Lucas seemed to slowly go back to his happy, confident self. Dylan sighed, before whipping out his phone and looking at the smaller man expectedly. «So, it's....»

As both of them exchanged numbers, Dylan couldn't help but to look grim throughout the entire interaction. He really didn't feel like dealing with him, especially after that scene he pulled earlier. Even though he apologized, the raven-haired felt like it wasn't sincere. It sounded like he wasn't very happy about that discovery.

«Alright, should I just save your number as 'Dylan'?» Lucas inquired, looking at his own phone. Dylan's umber eyes went from the smaller man's face to his cellphone as he nodded. «Yeah. Is there even a nickname for Dylan?» he asked sarcastically. «Dillie.» Lucas said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

A strained sigh escaped his lips as he spoke. «Don't call me Dillie.» Lucas answered without hesitation. «You brought this upon yourself, Dillie.»

«Lucas.»

«Yes, Dillie?»

«Lucas!»

Dylan angrily shouted his name, whereas the blond man couldn't help but to laugh. «S-Sorry! I- o-oh my god- couldn't help it,» he stammered between laughter. The taller man pinched the bridge of his nose, murmuring something to himself. Probably profanities towards his companion. In all that mess they stopped walking, and now were standing at a cross-road. The bus stop was already in Dylan's sight, but he couldn't just up and leave Lucas all by himself. That'd be impolite, and that's not something he wants to be associated with.

He took a moment to re-collect himself, before calmly speaking. «Alright; call me Dillie, then. I'll just save you as Lucas in my contacts, alright?»

It took some time for Lucas to reply, he had to catch his breath. «That's okay. I'll text you sometime later, then!» ❛Please don't❜

Silence fell between them once more.

«Well, there's my bus stop.» Dylan's eyes averted from his friend. On the end of the road, Lucas also tried to round the corner. «Oh, alright then! See you tomorrow, Dylan.» They both exchanged another handshake, making Dylan smile. At least the blond man didn't use that embarrassing nickname.

«Alright. See you tomorrow, Lucas.» And with that, both of them parted their way. Lucas rounded the corner, while Dylan kept walking down the road. It's been a difficult day, yet Dylan quite liked the new guy. He was a tad annoying, but so was Tanja. He sat down on the wooden bench next to the sign, pulling out his phone and scrolling through social media.

Now, it was just him, sitting in silence.


End file.
